The latest cultural headlines in the media.

Danish ambassador’s wife becomes honorary member of Iranian troupe 

Tehran Times: The Danish ambassador’s wife has become an honorary member of the Aran Puppet Theater Group, which is led by Iranian director Behruz Gharibpur.
The membership was granted on Sunday after she and her husband Anders Christian Hougard watched a performance of “Hafez”, an opera puppet show by the troupe, at Tehran’s Ferdowsi Theater, the organizer Rudaki Foundation announced in a press release on Monday.
The name of the Danish ambassador’s wife was not mentioned.
They also visited back stage at the show and Gharibpur gave them some details about the play.
Hougard expressed hope that the play would also be performed in Denmark as soon as possible.
Focus of the “Hafez” opera puppet show is part of the life story of the Persian poet Hafez (1325-1389).
The play begins with the occupation of Shiraz by the Ilkhanid governor of Yazd, Mubariz ad-Din Muzaffar. He kills his predecessor, Abu Is’haq Inju, who is Hafez’s patron. As a result, Shiraz becomes the Muzaffarid dynasty’s capital in 1353.
In this period, Hafez gives a critical ambiance to his poems. Consequently, his enemies begin to provoke Mubariz ad-Din Muzaffar to fight with him. Thus, Hafez is forced to live in isolation.
Aran has previously performed the opera puppet shows “Macbeth”, “Ashura”, “Rustam and Sohrab” and “Rumi” in Iran and some other countries.

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Iran to commemorate late painter Seyyed-Reza Shahabi 

Presstv: Iran is planning to commemorate the late painter, Seyyed-Reza Shahabi during a ceremony at Barg Art Gallery in the capital city of Tehran.
The event will screen a documentary about the veteran painter and other artists will deliver speeches about his works and artistic background.

Participants will also be able to see a collection of Shahabi’s works as well as photographs and documents related to his artistic life.

Born in 1901in Tehran, Seyyed-Reza Shahabi practiced painting under the tutorship of renowned Iranian artist Mohammad Ghaffari, better known as Kamal-ol-Molk.

Shahabi started his artistic career at the age of 16 and created many memorable works including illustrating books for Iranian schools.

Iranian students of the time were all familiar with Shahabi’s illustrations of Shahnameh in literature school books and his descriptive anatomy pictures for medical courses.

He also designed army medals and decorations and created his best works during the 1950s.

Seyyed-Reza Shahabi passed away at the age of 86, in April 1979.

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